Yup, my third ToS fic!

I do hope this turns out to be a success! Well, anyway, this is just a quick little story that I had to write because the idea just popped up in my head!

Ok, on to disclaimer, because…

I DO NOT OWN TALES OF SYMPHONIA! If I did, I would've at least have Anna's face shown SOMEWHERE in a two-disc game.

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"Hey, Kratos-I mean, er, um, Dad?"

Kratos flinched. He had not yet gotten used to the name he was given after having his own son. Nevertheless, he turned around with a sigh.

"Yes, Lloyd?"

Lloyd shifted uncomfortably. "You and mom….you guys were, um, married before you, um, had me…right?"

Kratos sighed again. He knew that one day he would have to explain this.

"Yes, we were married before you were born." Kratos dreaded the next question. If it was about…

"Then why is my last name different?"

Damn it all.

Kratos put on a pained experession. The whole situation itself wasn't as hard to explain; however, it was Lloyd he was talking to.

"Your mother wanted to keep her original last name."

"But…its's not proof enough that you guys were married! Don't you have a piece of paper that officially marries you two or something??"

"This 'paper' you speak of could not have been done for fear that Kvar…could've had…" Kratos trailed off not wanting to remember such memories.

Lloyd went on anyway. "So you're not officially married? You two just…declared you were married?"

Why in the world was he asking such absurd questions? Another sigh. "…From my understanding…yes."

Lloyd suddenly went pale. "So, then that means…""Lloyd, why in the world are you asking such questions?"

"Well, the professor…well, ok, in class, we were talking about what traditions are done by people, and what things were right to do when we grow up, and she said…she said…"

Kratos lifted his left eyebrow in curiousity.

"She said…aw, damn, I feel weird saying this to you since you're my dad! She said that usually two people get married before they have a child because if they had a child before marriage, then everyone would know that those two did…um, that, thing in which the result is...a baby…and supposedly, it's a bad impression because then the two aren't officially married so then one can leave the other while the other provides for the baby, and that causes unhappiness for the family and friends because then everyone knows that the two did…that before marriage, which is really bad…" Lloyd look straight down.

Kratos' face immediately was flushed. He had not known that his son had known of…such information. Kratos grimaced and covered his face with one hand. How embarrassing it was for his own son to think of what had happened between him and Anna that one particular…how embarrassing…true, it is reasonable that Lloyd would realize that, but he never knew he would actually think about it so deeply...

Kratos sighed for what seemed the hundredth time. "…So you don't trust me?"

Lloyd' s head snapped up. "No, no! That's not what I meant, its just…I'm just confirming on what I didn't know, so…"

"Lloyd, its true that Anna and I didn't officially marry, and had you, but it doesn't mean I had loved her less. Indeed, it would have been a bad impression to others, but there were certain reasons to why we couldn't officially marry…and Anna had wanted a child before she passed on, so we…" Kratos had a tint of red yet again upon his face.

Silence. Uncomfortable silence, at that.

Finally, "So that's why I'm still an 'Irving' and not an 'Aurion'?"

Kratos sighed. Thank Martel it was over. (Why did he use his own companion's name from long ago??) "Yes, that is why, and also because of dealings in Cruxis…which you must understand by now."

Lloyd nodded. Just as Lloyd started to walk away, to Kratos' relief, Lloyd snapped back around to face Kratos once again.

"So…what if I wanted to be an 'Aurion'?"

If Anna were here at that moment, she would've laughed her head off at Kratos and his "closeness" (and depressing relief of his own son going away) with his son talking about such a…deep subject.

Kratos shifted uncomfortably. "…Did you want to be 'Aurion' instead of 'Irving'?"

"…'Aurion' has such a nice tune."

Anna would've been on the ground laughing at her son's alikeness of her. Lloyd did very much act like his mother at times (minus the stupidity).

Kratos was ready to walk away. He had had enough of this for today. Lloyd's big speech on traditions and such was enough.

"…Do as you wish…there's nothing more to hide from Cruxis anymore."

Kratos was walking away, when he heard Lloyd's voice again.

"But Lloyd Irving has a better tune than Lloyd Aurion, even though 'Aurion' sounds so cool…"

Kratos went on to go to then inn they were staying at. Sometimes he wondered if Lloyd liked him because he was his father and Lloyd accepted him over all, or if it was just the name he liked all along.

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(yawns) I'm writing this at two-thirty in the morning, so sorry if there are grammar mistakes and such…I just had to write this!

Well, there's the review button. I won't force you to review if you do not want to, you spending your time to read my story is good too! (yawns again) hmm, im tired now…